Thread: Honing newbie - suggestions?

Honers,
I went ahead and bought the Norton package mentioned in this thread: http://straightrazorpalace.com/showthread.php?t=20605. The stones arrived today and I'll probably begin my investigations into honing tomorrow. So based on the materials that I have (see below), what would be optimal for finishing a razor?

Norton 220/1k combo
Norton 4k/8k combo
Pasted linen strop with 0.5 CrO (from ChrisL)
Illinois leather/linen strop

Gugi was kind enough to sell me some practice razors at a reasonable price. He set the bevel for me so now I need to determine where to start the pyramid and how to finish the razor once it comes off the 8k. Any and all suggestions are appreciated.

LBX

Agreed, all newbies should definately be honed, and then vigorously stropped!






Scott

Originally Posted by Lunchbox16

Honers,
I went ahead and bought the Norton package mentioned in this thread: http://straightrazorpalace.com/showthread.php?t=20605. The stones arrived today and I'll probably begin my investigations into honing tomorrow. So based on the materials that I have (see below), what would be optimal for finishing a razor?

Norton 220/1k combo
Norton 4k/8k combo
Pasted linen strop with 0.5 CrO (from ChrisL)
Illinois leather/linen strop

Gugi was kind enough to sell me some practice razors at a reasonable price. He set the bevel for me so now I need to determine where to start the pyramid and how to finish the razor once it comes off the 8k. Any and all suggestions are appreciated.

LBX

If you have a nicely shaving razor or two I would prepare to take some time and learn as much as you can about the hones you have.

If the bevels are already set you would start with the 4/8000 grit stone. For me if its not popping arm hairs at this point I do the aggressive pyramid if its popping arm hair I go conservative.

Heres where you can learn a lot about honing. Finish on the 8000, work with it carefully and you can get a very nice shaving edge. I'd leave the pasted strop to sit untill you get a decent shave off the 8000 then try the CrO and see how it improves an edge for you.

Other than the Chromium Oxide, I have no experience with other pastes.

On stones, you can pretty much take your pick to start out and build from there if you want to; take your pick from: Chinese 12K, Thuringian, Shapton 16K Ceramic on Glass, Coticule. I placed the stones in order of cost if sized similarly. The Chinese 12K will set you back only about $35.

Some guys like the Spyderco ultra fine. I've never used that stone so I can't comment.

Chris L

Originally Posted by Lunchbox16

Honers,
what would be optimal for finishing a razor?

Norton 220/1k combo
Norton 4k/8k combo
Pasted linen strop with 0.5 CrO (from ChrisL)
Illinois leather/linen strop

LBX

You probably already know this, but the linen comes first, then you finish on leather. And for the first time stropping the blade after a honing, you really don't need to use the linen.

Other than that, I'd recommend taking it easy on the CrO paste (as WildTim said), you'll learn a lot more about how you did on the stone if you don't use it. Pastes tend to lessen the flaws in the edge, and thus keep you from correcting your technique if you are making small errors.

Oh, and make sure to lap your stones first. They are not flat from the factory.

WildTim,
I've got a Dovo Blackstar that Lynn honed that needs a refresh, so I think I'm going to try doing that tomorrow. As for the practice razors, they'll need ALOT of work. One has a few chips in it. I'm thinking about starting on the 1k stone to get those out.

Also, thanks for the tip re: the pasted strop.

Go Wings!

One thing I'd suggest is to take your time and be patient. It might take you 10 or 20 hours to get your first "success." So just go slow and post questions as they come to you.

If your razors have nicks in them, you'll probably want to start on the 1K hone. I wouldn't use that 220-grit one until you have a few dozen razors under your belt, if ever. It will take time to work out the nicks. Deciding you're going to teach that razor a thing or two is the quickest path to frustration.

With the Dovo, a little touchup is all it needs, but since you don't yet know how to do that, you'll probably spend a bit of time on it. Read up on the pyramid system. For a touchup, you'll want to use only the end of the pyramid, say 1 stroke on the 4K and 5 on the 8K.

Don't be afraid of honing; you're not going to ruin your razor if you use your head and don't do anything drastic. Using regular, light honing strokes, it would take hours and hours to ruin a decent razor using just the Norton 4/8K.

It might be a good idea to tape the spines on your razors for a while with electrical tape. That way you won't be worried about putting too much hone wear on them, and you can focus on what's happening at the edge.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

Josh

One other tip that worked well for me when I started - a bit of magic marker along the edge can help you see the effect of what you're doing on the hone. Don't worry about putting it on perfectly - any excess generally rubs off with a bit of alcohol or similar.

James.

As mentioned before, be sure to lap those hones flat and soften the edges.

Take your time and enjoy, the results are really nice.

Originally Posted by honedright

Agreed, all newbies should definately be honed, and then vigorously stropped!






Scott

Question: when stropping newbies, is any extra attention to the spine needed?